excuse me. i'm not that free.

• 1. design law society car sticker. by... 3pm?
• 
  
• 2. prepare games for law cg dinner tonight. (guys, seriously. i'm running out of games. the fourth time you put me in charge, i'll make everyone play chess.)
• 
  
• 3. pester jason to hurry up and give me the list of songs i'm to play tonight. or i could just not say anything, stare at him blankly, and say, "i don't know this song" during Worship. =P (jason: "i keel you.")
  
• 
  
• 4. fetch law cg members from first college. aih. have to talk to security guard again. sien. on a brighter note, it's amreeta, jira and louis i'm chauffering. =)
• 
  
• 5. tutorials blog about such nonsense.
• 
  
• 6. tutorials get photos and guest list for MSK report.
• 
  
• 7. get directions to shah alam.
  
• 
  
• 8. buy a GPS, compass and map.
• 
  
• 9. confirm time and venue for buddy meet on saturday.
• 
  
• 10. seduce find volunteers.
  
• 
  
• 11. tutorials comfort self with pineapple tarts. hey i gotta do it fast. there're only three left. (blame it on The One who ate the most. lala.) so i've to eat them before doing tutorials. hm hm.
  
• 
  
• 12. tutorials restaurant city.
• 
  
• 13. tutorials.

GADOH.

EXCLUSIVE SCREENING OF "GADOH"
a film directed by
Brenda Danker Namron

Date 4 August 2009 (Tuesday)
Venue Auditorium, Faculty of Education, UM
Time 8.00 pm - 10.30 pm
Price FUHREEEEEEEEEEEE!

trailer

Gadoh tells a story of a group of teenagers who fought each other along racial lines; a cycle of hatred and violence further escalated by their environment and school system.

What was to be a quick resolution to improve the school’s bad image, was taken as an opportunity for one teacher who believed that real change was possible. She ropes in the help of an old friend and reluctant maverick theater activist for this arduous task.

Is there hope amidst the cycle of discrimination that surrounds us?

Watch Gadoh for their story, and what it may very well tell us about ourselves.



Yup. Don't worry about the whole cannot-bring-car-into-UM thing. Just say you're here for the screening and get a visitor's pass. No need to lie to the guards. Awesome right? Aha.

kee aun: "oh ya, i'm supposed to teach you photoshop right?"

Was incredibly tired yesterday. Still tired today, actually. Mum's right. I spend a lot of time blogging. Not because I have a lot of things to say actually true also but because I believe in responsible blogging, meaning facts must be accurate, no matter how much I want to diss the person I'm blogging about. Especially after studying defamation by libel in very great detail during my first year.

Reading Kee Aun's blog and listening to some other people, I realized that the VC and the students in general weren't the only ones on different pages. It was also kind of like:

Faculty of Law v. Other Faculties

Nobody suing anybody. I just feel we were on different pages. Probably different books while we're at it.

Kee Aun rephrased some of what was said that night (the ones in grey italics are what i wrote):

1. “Perhaps the university should give us all motorbikes to complement the new ruling.”
- "Is UM going to provide motorcycles for everyone?"

2. “15 more minutes, please?”
- 'Kean Kang asked for an extension of 15 minutes.'

Instead of wondering who heard right, let's try to dissect the situation. No matter how right we think we were in saying what we said to the VC, and no matter how bona fide (and I trust we had that spirit), the fact is that what we said sounded like that not only to Kee Aun, but the VC as well. Now that would explain why the panel was so offended.

Zer Hsien essentially meant, "Where are we going to get motorcycles? We drive cars!", and it wasn't so much a daring taunt to the panel. I can relate to this question. Even if I could somehow steal somebody's motorcycle, Dad would never let me ride a motorcycle. Not even if I'm just membonceng-ing as a passenger. Ah, personal family thing.

And the way Kean Kang talks is memang like that wan mah. His speech is always fast, brief, and clipped, and sometimes sounds rude to people who hear him for the first time. (frankly, i felt that way at our first buddy meet)

Sigh. No wonder, no wonder. I was confused when people said we were rude, because in my opinion, Zer Hsien was on his best behaviour that night. (zer hsien: "oh, you're trying to say i'm usually very rude izit?" =P)

It was then when a suggestion came from the stage to the students to work together with the team managing the busses to form a task force to analyse and come up with solutions. The hall remained quiet as it pondered on something that they needed to do to work towards what is yet to be done rather than demand that it be given to them.

-extract from kee aun's blog.

I agree. Completely. I felt the wave of silence sweep by as well. I also felt the VC's disappointment as the thought dwelled in his mind that perhaps we really were only there to lodge complaints after all. But then again, admist the wincing, I didn't miss the students' growing perception that the VC was just challenging them and not really wanting to come up with a solution either.

Updates on the Third-years in the Faculty of Law:

• 1. The VC has allowed 55 Third-years Law students to drive into campus.
• 
  
• 2. Only the KL gate may be used - This is good because then students from other faculties cannot simply-simply park at our faculty when they learn of this stretch in the policy)
• 
  
• 3. Any Third-year Law student who breaks this prohibition will cause this privilege to be taken away by the university - As in every Third-year would lose the privilege to drive.
• 
  
• 4. The names, matric numbers, IC numbers and car registration numbers would be submitted.

I salute Bee San for her initiative. *salute* but then i wish i could have that priviledge too. uh... Don't know la. I think Law students would feel the yoke of this policy a lot, and in a different way from the rest. Because...

There is so much parking space in the faculty la!

Aih.

Anyway.

On what I was mumbling about in the blog yesterday, MPMUM is looking for volunteers who'd be willing to monitor the bus system and make sure it's running according to schedule. Oh wait. First we have to find out what the schedule is first, sporadic as it is. Quite frankly, I don't know much about the bus. I was completely lost when they were talking about Jalan 1 and Jalan 2 etc. All I know about the bus can be summed up in this:

Eh? I thought the bus doesn't stop at First College wan?
Oh, this year it's not stopping at the Faculty?
Got annual shift wan ar?

(And I'm not even making that up)

And I'd probably get lost taking the bus. I got lost yesterday on the way out of the exit at Tiara. I used to get lost in restrooms, for goodness' sake.

I'm still up for the taskforce thing though. You people who always laugh at my sense of direction wan got no excuse not to volunteer. Nyeh nyeh.

Anyway.

Response to Kee Aun's question above (by Kee Aun himself):

"Wait till we solve this parking issue first la.*sighs*"

I didn't say it, I even laughed at the time, but now I'm saying it:

"Apa ni. You trying to say you don't want to teach me izit?"

Bweh.

Don't think it'll be solved. Like the American Constitution, there'll be a compromise, not a solution.

Well.

The Americans are doing okay right? Aha. *desperate*

repeat: what level are we at now?

some MPMUM fella came over to be a responsible council member and to look after, care for, and nurture his constituents.

tough job with no rewards. hm hm.

read an email correspondence between the overworked person and the VC.

k. maybe i was wrong.

anyhoo.

they're seriously considering monitoring the shuttle-bus service to gather our data. sorrylah, i really have to italicize it. it's like... it's like...




ya. that.

anyway.

students who are genuinely concerned about the system are badly needed to put their hands into the dough and sacrifice time and leisure to gather this data.

this is the calling of the task force.

will you take up the challenge?

ah. sorry. macam cheesy sikit. tired, sleepy, belum mandi, and still need to finish criminal law tutorial.

what level are we at now?

And so we had that long-awaited dialogue with the VC about the car policy issue. Well, I got there late - 9.10pm? Not on my own fault though. We were executing our birthday surprise plan for Chelsea and Will. which was totally well-planned and organized. *bangga* =P

I didn't take down everything, because the fingers only move when the ears hear something worth translating to finger movement. I didn't bother indicating who answered the questions either because there were just too many strange people on the forum and I really couldn't care less who they were.

Anyway.

I was afraid the dialogue would've ended by the time I got there. And then I thought 'dialogue' meant 'monologue' because the VC was talking by himself up there. No, no. It's because the dialogue had just started. Because the VC had just arrived. (9pm)

Okay. Snub completed. From here on I shall attempt to be sufficiently neutral and give a brilliant, balanced account of the significant events of the night.

The VC was reiterating the reasons for the policy when I entered. I suppose I missed the helping-the-world-rid-itself-of-global-warming part. Updates on the policy:

1. 1. Student reps from the Faculty of Law may submit a list of third-year drivers from the Faculty for special permission to apply for car stickers.
2. 2. Unlike other universities, UM isn't restricting anyone from driving into UM. Everyone can drive any vehicle (vc: lorry pun boleh. that was our plan, chelsea!) provided they enter campus via the Damansara Gate.
3. 3. Again, everyone, regardless of year of study, is allowed to apply for a motorcycle sticker. UM is already quite lenient, because in the University of Berkeley (California) they're not allowed to bring in their cars at all.
   
4. 4. Everyone is cramming into the southern area of the campus when the northern area is so empty, hence the university's directive to use the Damansara Gate - to utilize campus space.

Then the VC made this promise which we sought in vain to claim that night:

"All your questions will be answered tonight."

As always, there was an exemption clause to that fundamental term:

"I don't want to hear mere complaints. I want solutions and data as well."

K. Fair enough.


#1 - 3rd year (final year).


Complaints

1. Final-years from other faculties also need to carry out research for project papers and drive around.

2. Shuttle-bus only uses two roads. Waiting for the bus to get through takes two hours. If the bus is late, it'll be four hours.

Solutions

1. Autogate system. Instead of wasting time checking (a) if the car has a UM car sticker, (b) if the car sticker is valid, (c) the driver's matric card, and then (d) what he has in the car, use a card like Touch 'N Go where they can just "teet" and the bar is raised.

2. Fixed hours for driving. E.g. No driving from 8am-5pm. Allow driving after 6pm because by then there's lots of parking space.

3. Exceptions for parents who send kids to UM everyday.

4. Allow driving at night.

#1.1 (Panel's Reply).
Data?


#2 - Lady.
Data

How do you expect us to come up with 'data'? We're only students. "Dan saya tak pernah ada faith kat bas tu, saya lebih rela jalan ke fakulti saya."

Solution
Why don't you (VC) go experience it yourself?

*people clapped and whooped*

#2.1.
Clapping won't do anything. Statements like that don't help either.

...Data?


#3 - Korina (3rd year).

no, this isn't korina. i didn't take a pic of her.
so this is a law representative to represent her.
=P

Data

6pm. We have a bus stop sign outside the Faculty, but the bus didn't stop. We had to walk to the bus stop at 1st College. Waited till 6.40pm just to board a bus to SKR. (i didn't understand very much, only heard '30 minutes' about 2 or 3 times) Waiting for the bus takes longer than walking.

#3.1 - Keselamatan Guy.

The bus won't stop if too many students are waiting to board it. But it'll usually stop if you stop the bus.

*everyone groans and make oppressed noise in disagreement*

Maybe they got into a jam outside campus? You won't know. And sometimes they need to take breaks too.

*everyone groans even louder and make oppressed and vexed noise in utter dissent*

#3.2.
Mana data? Saya nak data.

[how data-ish can you get beyond "the bus was 40 minutes late" and "the bus didn't stop"?]


#4 - 3rd year (final year).
Data

"Minta maaf kalau statistik itu tidak benar." "Oh ok, pembetulan data."

Complaints
1. How is the traffic problem solved by allowing juniors in through the Damansara Gate? Today the campus was jammed till 8pm!

2. If you really want to tackle the parking problem, why don't the staff go park at 10th?

Solution
Only third and fourth-years should be allowed to drive in. "Saya telah menunggu tahun ketiga saat membawa kereta sudah terlalu lama."

#4.1.

1. Jam till 8pm not true. Accident at Pantai Baru, not UM's fault.

2. Traffic police complained on the first Monday. Jam started at 8am in the entire Klang Valley. What UM does affects the surrounding population because we're in the heart of the city. We're different from other universities!

3. 29,000 students, 8,000 staff. How to provide for all?

#4.2

1. UM is smaller in size than other institutions like UPM / UKM. We're 365ha, Rimba Ilmu itself takes up 100ha. Cannot compare with other universities.

2. We also allow a lot of activities which are open to the public, and the public bring their cars too.

#5 - Some lady.

Complaints
1. What about safety outside campus? I stay off-campus, so I have to walk into UM in order to take the shuttle-bus.

2. Parents who need to send their kids to uni? They have to hand in their identification cards and then turn round to exit through the same gate to collect the IDs.

Solution
Start a UM taxi service.

#5.1 - Dude with limited elaboration skills.

[In all frankness, everything he said (a lot) can be summed up in seven words: "We're always concerned about your safety. Period."]

#5.2

Parents may apply for a special one-year pass from the Pejabat Keselamatan. But only the parents may collect the pass, not the students.

#6 - Some dude.

Complaint
How come the guards let outsiders in at the roadblock in campus, while students are straightway taken to the Pejabat to be clamped (their cars)?

#6.1
Outsiders can't come in without business and without pass.


#7 - Some other dude.

Complaint
I went to the PJ Gate at 8pm and there wasn't a single security guard there. What happened to the 'safety of the students'?

#7.1 - Same guy with the seven words.

"Bagus! Sangat peka! Saya suka student yang peka macam dia! Kita semua harus begitu peka!"

See what I mean when I say he has limited elaboration skills? That entire thing can be summed up in four words: "Peka is good. Period."

#8 - Bespectacled guy.
Complaint

Was in campus for industrial training on Saturday till 1pm. When I got there by bus, the driver said there won't be buses by the time I finish. I asked him, "Then macam mana saya nak balik?" He replied: "Take taxi." I can get to PJ by car in 15 minutes using RM2! This hassle is unnecessary!

#8.1
Don't you know that you can drive in on Saturday and Sunday?

#8.2 - Guy with limited elaboration skills.

Referring to the UM taxi suggestion, (eh apa ni delayed reaction) it's a good suggestion! Some private taxi drivers drive customers out and then mug them. So yeah, safety!

#9 - Zer Hsien (3rd year).
Data

1. July 23, 6pm, waited 20 minutes at the main bus stop.

2. Some figures and calculation on the ratio of (students + staff) : (total sum of parking space) which I didn't quite get although I was a math student in Form Six. Aha.

Complaints

1. We want to know why the university went on with this policy when they did not have a comprehensive plan to execute it? The administration has obviously not foreseen the problems that would come with the implementation of this policy.

2. Are we supposed to trade in our cars and spend RM100 on a motorcycle license if we don't have one?

3. Double standards - Mercedez could enter the gate. Students are stopped at once.

4. Enough space at PALAPES if ALL students are let in?

5. Does the VC know how many students know how to get to the Damansara Gate? I've been here for two years and I don't know how to get to the Gate, nor have I ever been there. Forgive my ignorance.

Solutions
1. I personally invite the VC to come take the shuttle-bus to know what it's like.

2. Is UM going to provide motorcycles for everyone?

#9.1

1. The comment on the motorcycles was uncalled for. At a meeting with the VC, there must be a spirit of decorum, which the VC is trying to strive for. If you lose that, there's no point in having this dialogue!

2. I don't know what our Haluansiswa is for if you still don't know where the Damansara Gate is.

[note: didn't answer questions.]

#9.1
You're not mature in your behaviour.


#10 - Some guy.
Data

I was formerly from UiTM. Although it's true that UiTM is much larger than UM, it has much lesser parking space. But still, students are allowed to apply for their stickers.

Complaint

Waiting for the bus takes a long time. Sometimes we'd rather walk with all our heavy books - maklumlah kita kan datang belajar bersungguh-sungguh - to our faculties. If we could bring our cars, it'll be much more convenient. I'm not speaking on behalf of the Asasi, First, Second, and Third Year students. I'm speaking on behalf of students who stay off-campus.

#10.1
Don't compare.


#11 - Talkative international student.
Background Data
Northern part is empty not on our own fault. It is because of the way UM was designed.

note: left side of map is southern area.

The northern area is empty because there is virtually nothing there! Everything is in the southern area!

Complaint
If we are not allowed to compare then why compare us with universities in the USA and Australia? Even if you do compare, can you compare the things they're providing for their students with what you are providing us?

#11.1 (VC! at last!)

They pay 12,000 for their education there! Do you want us to make you pay 12,000? Do you want to pay 12,000? *leans forward and jabs finger at #11* This kind of issue is not relevant! I don't want to hear this kind of thing.

...Complaints (continued)
1. You say you want proof - isn't the fact that all of us are having problems with the bus proof enough? I had to chase after the bus and it didn't even stop.

2. As for the traffic problem, the jam starts 5-8pm - after-office hours. It has nothing to do with those of us inside.

...Solutions
1. If we are to stop the public from coming in, what about the taxis and Rapid KL buses? We should stop those taxis as well.

2. Increase the number of shuttle-buses and extend service to Rapid KL area.

#11.1 (VC! again!).

It's getting late. (10.45pm) We only have time for a few more questions. If you still have questions, form a task force and discuss those issues with the Pasukan Keselamatan at the back of the hall *asks them to raise hands*. Do you dare to take that challenge?

[then if the VC doesn't accept the 'solutions' we come up with when we join hands with the Pasukan, we're back to square 1 right? non-law students, this is called "using the horrors of bureaucracy to stall for time".]

at the sound of "only have time for", this happened.

#11.2.

"What can you do for our children?" is something we hear very often from parents. Sometimes you act like adults and don't want our protection and restrictions. Then when you have problems, you come and act like children, bringing your parents in and all. You want us to do this and that for you. There must be consistency. If you want to act like children, you do so all the way. Accept our protection and restrictions.

[although he could've said it in a better-structured and less ridiculous way, i think he has a point]

Before Myra could take her turn to speak, the emcee announced that the dialogue had come to an end. Kean Kang asked for an extension of 15 minutes. Tim went up and said that it was getting late, and the administrators were tired, and so we should end the dialogue as the VC wished. Kean Kang submitted another plea for the time extension. Tim said he didn't think it'd take 15 minutes to answer everybody's questions (there were six people awaiting), but the decision was still in the VC's hands.

Dengan bunyi jantung berdegup-degup pantas bagai tahi burung yang telah menimpa Kenari saya dengan cepat sekali, kami menunggu jawapan Timbalan Naib Canselor, mengharapkan dan mendoakan ---

"Neh."

Jantung burst. Tahi burung fell anyway. about four. aih.

He didn't even say it. He made some weird gesture which looked like "neh".

Tim: "I think we should respect that decision."

Before the emcee could begin to say his fourth word, a bunch of students in front of me (at the back) upped and left in silent protest.


Was the dialogue really over? I felt like we'd barely heard the VC, save for his opening speech at the start of the meeting. He should've called it a 'forum' if he'd intended to bring his little buddies along with him to un-answeringly answer answer most of the questions.

I'm not trying to be a judgmental critic by condeming the dialogue and all. But I had gone with a bona fide spirit, and abandoned the eight-page Robert Torrens extract, six-page Teo Keang Sood article, 25-page Development of English Common Law article, and tutorial that I was to finish reading, studying, and doing for Land Law the next day (today) in order to attend the dialogue. And I attended although I'd literally spent the entire day at the Faculty, celebrated two housie's birthdays dengan penuh kebernasan, and was late and nobody really wanted to go with me. (and here i thank ah will for going with me)

Most of us had also put aside all that we had to do - studying, tutorials, whatevers - to get to the dialogue. And it was so uberly disappointing.

Perhaps my expectations had gone way too high when I heard about the outcome of the MPMUM's meeting with the VC. It sounded so much better and impressive when Tim said it la. The VC was just...

K, let's not do the personal attacks stuff. Them forum people had probably had something important to do also. Let's be jolly and happy. Let's talk about the highlight of the dialogue.

...

FOOD!!
*fireworks*

the orange thing was too artificial, said will.

kean kang's depression evaporated
after a calming glass of coffee.

the watermelon was sweet also. yum.

And then Joshua gave me directions on how to get to the Damansara Gate.

ya. it is that much of a pain in the behind.

By the way, for those of you who think that your life will be sempurna dan bahagia cuz you'll be in your fourth year next year, don't start hopping just yet. The VC has announced that next year, fourth-year students will also have to use the blessed Damansara Gate. Tada. And he added, "And so on for the coming years." Meaning... Masters students? Marilah kita sama-sama berkesian.

Me: "Eh, why look so sick wan?"

Zer Hsien: "Gastric."
Me: "Oh, you haven't had your dinner?"
Zer Hsien: "No. Emotional distress."

cars on campus. ya, i know you're getting bored with this. *sepak*

mpmum says.

ya, k, since you want to read something else, let's talk about how i got lost thrice in two days.

SUNDAY
#1 Missed the turning into PJ and started going on the road to Shah Alam/Klang. tried looking for signboards the way I always do in Malacca, but all I got was Jalan Tun Sambanthan. Like, dude, I know you're a super berjasa guy and all, but I really don't like seeing your name anymore. No offense to his offspring. The way I escaped back to PJ was pure genius, and I shall not waste such intelligence here. Hm hm.

#2 Missed too many turnings while looking for Pei Ling's house in SS2.
Me
"How'd you know it was my car?"
Pei Ling
"Yours is the only Malacca car driving around ok. Somemore with that determined look. XD"

And then she proceeds to laugh and declare that all her life she never thought she'd meet someone worse than her.


MONDAY
#3 Missed the turning back to PJ after exiting the KL gate. That itself is another story. Because I didn't park in UM. Anyway. We were so lost we even contemplated visiting a certain friend I know in Shah Alam, and we even waved at Sunway Pyramid.

there's no need to recount the other times i got lost. and i know PKV members will never understand why for the life of me i can't remember how to get to the PKV booth.

i'm so used to hearing "sms me when you get back" and receiving smses like this:

"please misscall or sms me when you get home. (the malacca home and not someplace else)"

yeah. for people like me, who live such extraordinary lives, it's difficult not to feel cared for or loved.

aha.



public: actually we're waiting for you to grow up / get a GPS.

let's be civilized-ly rebellious.

things are so messed up. we're all so messed up. I'M messed up. it's like nobody understands the trouble i went to to bring the Kenari. it's like they're taking it for granted, like i get to bring a car because i'm a spoilt, rich kid. or something. i'm not. i may be a spoilt, rich kid some other time, but the instance of the car is not one such time.

and now UM has come up with this stupid car policy.

and now everyone wants to bring a car. supply-demand theory?

when the supply curve (SS) shifts to the left (to S1S1), signifying a decrease in supply, the quantity demanded (Q) should also decrease (to Q1).

everything that's happening is in utter defiance of this basic, fundamental theory! gah! i don't care about those speculators and businessmen! the important thing is how this flaw in this theory affects my application for a car sticker. bweh.

and allow me a moment of praise for my memory of my economics studies. *ahem*

i shan't expose the issues in tiara (my house) here. tiara-ians are my family, and i don't expose family issues for all to see. but there is a need for a family meet tonight. or soon. sigh.

but i find it hard to resist the urge to discuss this dog-eat-dog world. i witnessed first-hand the total ignorance and disregard my roomie's buddy had for her. it was like he was just waiting to shake her off. what is she to him? a kutu on a dog? some people have the nerve. out of respect for the fact that he is a human with feelings, i shall refrain from utterly destroying him in my blog. but yeah, he deserves the destruction.

anyway, back to the title of this post. (i may have strayed too far)

there will be a meeting with the VC at Dewan Gemilang, 12th College at 8.00 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, July 28). it's a meeting for us disgruntled students to specially interrogate and bombard him if we must, concerning the issue of the car policy.

You, You, and You must go. You refers to all those who've been circulating my blog posts in that email. if you really feel so strongly about this issue, then for parsley's sake, please go and make your voices heard.

as Clarence did say, we can write all we want, but if the VC's eyes are not open to what we write, we're writing to thin air.

tomorrow, let's question this policy in a civilized manner. ask, question, demand all we want, but we will make our voices heard!

all those yang takda kaitan, please don't take up space in the hall, thank you.

=P

email from the VC.

er ya. it is that senget.

pardon me for being extremely blunt, but the first reason for the policy is so lame i can't even raise an eyebrow at it. i mean, come on, make it reason #3 la. global warming. huh. get the staff to squeeze into the shuttle-buses and we'll talk.

anyway.

this was the letter that set me writing on the previous post.

and anyway again.

after coercing me into buying a Gadoh dvd for rm15, tim asked if i'd heard about the new ruling after the mpmum's meeting with the vice chancellor (VC).

to be fair to the VC, he took the trouble to disguise himself as a security guard to see for himself the students' and publics' responses to the highly-condemned policy.

in one instance, he got a major shoutout from a disgruntled driver. shoutout as in SHOUTout. in another, he had to go chasing after a stray car who'd zoomed off across the humps after impliedly promising to make a U-turn out the gate.

to be fair to the security guards, i shall confess on their behalf that they're not too hyped about this policy either. they're just doing their jobs under orders of their superiors. and to be really fair to them, although there were nasty guards - like the one who really, extremely rudely barked at me and chelsea to hang our matric cards around our necks - there were also some nice, cool guards. i especially like the ones at the PJ gate. the guards at the KL gate should be kicked in the butt. at least the ones in the morning.

i shan't get the PJ gate's guards into trouble by telling you in detail how they were very nice, but i shall stand up for them a little with the very true statement that the guards i met were always polite and respectful.

the VC has come to a bit of a compromise on the issue of the new policy. he can't put a blanket over the policy, because, frankly, although i've been hooting for that blanket (smelly as it may be), it would make the VC's department look really stupid and lame for starting a policy that's bound to be blanketed anyway.

the policy would be reconsidered according to the respective faculties, because the issue of the lack of parking space is supposedly quite prevalent and real in campus.

i won't know anything about that. because the law faculty has always seemed to have plenty of parking space. and we did just build that new parking lot, you know.

i haven't been around long enough to know about the traffic issue either. when i was in First College, my faculty was right next door. but yeah, i agree with Mr/Ms Anonymous that the traffic only seems to be heavy before and after office hours.

i shall refrain from commenting further, because i only hoot and make noise at facts i'm absolutely sure of.

dealing with the students' complaints about how the public get to enter our campus while we innocent fellows who pay for our place here, can't, the VC has declared that the public would, from hereon be forbidden (hear that, chee kean? don't try anything funny. lala.) to use the university's roads as a bypass to escape the Insane Federal Highway.

he has also promised that the shuttle-bus service would be improved and enhanced and whatever other word there is that's of the same meaning and therefore redundant if added. all complaints can be forwarded to the VC himself at his email.

er.

whatever his email is. gotta go soon. no time to go look for his email. which is probably very much like his name anyway. (ghauth jasmon. shame on you if you don't know. tsk.)

anyway, complain precisely and specifically. i.e. how late the bus was, bus' number plate, etc.

so. since the compromise is really not that satisfactory awesome huge, let's all be jolly and happy and complain regularly in a very detailed manner.

and last friday, i decided in my heart to not dig my beloved institution's grave too quickly out of respect for the guards at the PJ gate.

so all you minions out there who don't deserve the respect, be thankful to your colleagues. and ya, i know my blog isn't malaysiakini, but it still has some coverage. so there!

stupidity level #6.

i am so tempted. reading the latest email from the VC's office is making me hot under the collar, as dr johan put it. people can really be that stupid. and ya, abang, although i said i'd find some other word to describe the other fella, but this time they're really indescribable.

i'm not going to blog about it just yet, because tim wrote on facebook that the MPMUM were to have a meeting with the VC on thursday (just past), 5.30pm. maybe there have been some changes and some increase in intelligence. i would refrain from slandering for now.

but here's just a sneak peek into that email:

i suppose they thought they were very clever for rebutting zhen jun's allegations that way. we learned in tort that sometimes the way out of false imprisonment is so cacat that it's really not a way out at all.

damansara gate is one of the dumbest things in the world right now in my mind. anyone who mentions those two words to me tomorrow, i will incapicitate.

just received a caution via sms that all UM students are to be on the alert tomorrow, because tomorrow is UM's Let's Have Some Clamping Action Day. already cars have been clamped today, and cars parked along the road OUTSIDE UM (Intan Gate) have been issued summons.

stupidity level #6.

will UM make it back below that level?

tomorrow will speak for itself.

ooo. i'm circulation material.

i didn't really believe it when samantha said that my opinions (i'd call them rantings) on the other fella's policy are being circulated in an email.

until kheng fai exclaimed in pleasant surprise today: "tse hwei! your blog post is being circulated in an email!" and then he proceeded to show me the email.

aha.

how do i feel about this?

Reaction #1
*horror*

Reaction #2
*kepoh*
"Oh, what else did they write?"

Reaction #3
(When I read this at the beginning of the email: "This is taken from hwei's blog... and she is voicing out the concerns of most of the UM students over the new car policy by University of Malaya (UM)")

Only close friends and family call me hwei. But I suppose the circulators had no choice, since my profile name is only hwei. Aha.

Reaction #4
(When I read this at the end of the email: "Please pass this around... If we can have a voice, our hopes is that hwei's words will reach MPMUM... And it's also good to let the general public know what UM is up to...")

Let's see - there're 2 MPMUM members in my class, 2 more in my faculty, and another 2 in PKV. If I wanted to let MPMUM know, no need to send email. ^_^"

Reaction #5
*horror*
"Stealing canteen mak cik's sticker and all? It's all in there! Circulated around for all to see! Where's my faceeeee!" (pronounced fei-see like a true cinapek)
repeat: *horror*

Reaction #6
(When mum called and I told her about it and she said "I told you so")
*lawan tauke*
"Ceh! With or without them (the other fella) I'll be a lawyer! And then I'll sue them (the other fella)!"


yeah, it's the same feeling i got when i was in datin's criminal law tutorial today and kena tembak like mad. the question was simple and innocent. we were supposed to outline the differences between criminal law and civil law. i raised my hand and said that "criminal acts are intrinsically morally wrong". before i could finish that sentence, she repeated the last three words 5 times with a different expression each time, and then (finally) asked me what i meant.

i answered (wrongfully so) that the 'intrinsically' was not that much needed in the sentence. although i did interpret it to mean that criminal acts are wrong in and of themselves. she started yapping about who knows what. and so i added that word back in and interpreted it.

datin: "give me one example of a moral wrong."
me: "murder." (like, yoh, isn't that the first thing that comes to everyone's mind?)
datin: "murder is a universal crime. it's wrong in every country. but if you say that immoral acts are crimes, then crime differs according to the society in question. do realize that i'm already making her sound more wonderful than she really was. which country / society doesn't think of murder as a crime?"

ya. i know it was a rhetorical question. but somehow. the fear that had been in me since i knew i was in the infamous datin's class dissolved into nothingness when she started interrogating me. the dread of being made a punching bag in class turned into "ok. so it finally happened. what else can she do to me?"

and i said:

"what about cannibals?"

and she went:

"o_O CANNIBALS? THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY! WHICH COUNTRY IN THE WORLD STILL HAS CANNIBALS IN THIS ERA???"

and again, that feeling dominated my senses (and here i inappropriately cite s.84 of the Penal Code and excuse myself from the liability of my criminal act by virtue of my unsoundness of mind) and i replied to yet another rhetorical question:

"papua new guinea?"

and all hell broke loose.

neh, not really. a quarter of hell broke loose.

oh, for the love of parsley. amreeta looked at me after i told her and said, "you do know you defiantly answered her when she was asking you a question to correct you, right?"

yup. that feeling. like the one you get right before you destroy a friendship in an argument. hmm.

i remember the friends i lost because i didn't back down when i should have. i don't take this feeling lightly. while i will always value and jealously guard my freedom to blog, i do realize that there are external factors that must always cause me to be careful when i exercise that freedom.

so like abang and xin li said, keep it up. but like mum and samantha said, be careful.

i still will diss the other fella if it annoys me further.

like maybe on monday, when i can't get into UM because i don't have a car sticker. hmm.

on a lighter note,

i still can't believe dr grace actually had a corner for coughers.


and tim, your work is getting sloppier. you need to serve faster.
=P

family law.

"susah nak kata sumpah sehidup-semati. sebab mati itu bukan di tangan anda."

- datin nor aini abdullah, family law lecturer

right, something else she said:

"husband + wife is different from mother + child."

that reminds me of one contestant of The Biggest Loser. (official website here). it was the season where the two opposing teams consisted of husband-wife and parent-child participants respectively. there was this whole hoo-hah about which team would stand a higher chance of winning. and obviously the husband-wife team said husband-wife would win, and the parent-child team said parent-child would win, etc etc. who enters a competition to lose la?

anyway, of all the pompous comments i heard, one struck me the hardest. it came from a contestant from the husband-wife team:

"i believe the couples would win,
because you don't get to choose your child.
you choose your life partner."

i often wonder if people know that they're profound. hmm.

taking the oath at the altar is important, not because you're afraid your other half would one day decide to complete the half of some other person, but because you both made a decision to stick together through thick and thin.

and at the altar, in a church, you declare before God as your witness, that you will be true to your word, and you give your life as a mortgage for that oath. (this is also why Christians are encouraged to register for marriage in a church and not a government agency, and also why marriages are taken so seriously in church)

speaking of which, the usage of the word "mortgage" may not be proper, because we just got out of Land Law class today, and there's a difference between a mortgage (cagaran), a charge (gadaian), and well, a pawn shop (pajak gadai as per dr grace's definition. shouldn't it kedai pajak gadai though?).

anyway, until i learn to use the terms properly, just pretend the paragraph above didn't happen. lala.

sometimes i wonder if i shouldn't be a lawyer. maybe i should be a stalker instead - someone who goes around listening to people and writing down things they say. maybe it could be a profession. hey, it takes some serious skills ok. like right now, my note-taking skills are super maxed cuz i do it so often. hm hm. *perasan*

but yeah, knowing you said something that made some other person think is a wonderful feeling. firstly, it shows people listened when you spoke. secondly, it shows that you're worth more than you think.

because people always seem surprised when they read something on my blog that happens to be something they've said before.

why so surprised? didn't you think it was profound too?

strange.

to the plunging death.

my death or the other fella's death?

we learned something interesting in Conflicts of Law lecture today. it's the concept of rem. if you bring an action in rem, it means you arrest a thing. an action in personam is to sue an individual.

do note that when i talk about the other, i'm talking in the in rem sense. *go figure*

mum has cautioned that i should be careful when i blog, in case i get suspended.

that brings to mind another interesting thing i learned yesterday in Constitutional Law lecture. we were comparing the Islamic model of rule with the constitutional model that many corrupted buggers denounce as being "too Western for us Eastern people".

most of us should know Saidina Abu Bakar, because even if we don't remember the rest of them khulafa (plural for khalifah public: ahhhhh now i remember!), we somehow remember this one. in his famous actually i've never heard it speech, he said (i paraphrase, since i'm so good at it *wink*):

if you speak the truth to your ruler, it is faithful loyalty.
if you conceal it, it is treason.

k la. it sounds nicer in malay.

kebenaran adalah suatu amanah,
dan dusta adalah pengkhianatan.

in a country where those who point out governmental flaws are considered committers of high treason (ya, they don't say it like that, but that's what they mean when they throw you into ISA detention. the rakyat are not dumb.), and those who popularize the phrases "everything's alright", "malaysia boleh" and "we're doing very well" are the best rakyat in the world... honesty is a rarity.

it's the truth. the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. and some people can't handle the truth.

in light of such amazing truth, the government is wasting its time teaching the children the "berkata benar" value in our Pendidikan Moral syllabus. what's the point of making so much effort to remember that it's "berkata benar" and not "bercakap benar" for the exam when so much of it isn't practiced anyway?

i understand that sometimes we lash out a bit too aggressively, my own posts included. but the authorities must also understand that this has come to be because we are so deprived of the opportunity to speak out that once we find an avenue that is the closest to actually speaking out (here, it is blogging), we find that all we say is an accumulated mass.

it's like how you weren't allowed to cry when your parents were giving you a scolding or the rotan. when you did find a chance to cry, you found that you couldn't quite stop. it felt like those tears were larger than the situation that caused you to cry.

my resentment for the other fella has turned into pity.

the traffic police intervened with their fantabulous policy yesterday, because of the jam they were causing.

er, thank you, i appreciate being able to drive now, but for your own sake, please reconsider the policy. our student council reps are sending in a referendum soon. do give it due consideration. i despise the feeling of pity. i really do. the presence of pity signifies the presence of a certain degradation to the receiver of pity. you don't pity a bahagia or dignified person, do you?

so.

if you antibiotic your flu, i promise i'll forget the flu ever happened. i really will.

are you even reading?

*shakes head*

oh ya. you guys notice my previous posts sounded angry. er, when i wrote the first one, i wasn't angry. just felt incredulous. like, "got such people in the world? preposterous!", kinda thing. the second post was after jason's recollection of the incident. and i felt o_O too. but, the second post is quite an accurate representation of how i felt when jason said, later in the day: "i think you guys should really go in from damansara gate la".

i felt...

true, that would be more convenient. plus i would be a much lesser rebel. we shouldn't be rebelling against the authorities. a lot is at stake. and they did send out the letter informing us of the policy. we have no defence if they decide to reprimand us.

BUT.

i don't have to do this. i shouldn't have to use the damansara gate. i'm supposed to have my rights.

these words rang in my head as i reconsidered my 7 fantastic strategies.

and then i got upset. i refrain from using the word "angry" because i happen to know what my anger feels like, and at that point, that wasn't it. i was upset.

upset, as in when someone was supposed to take you out for dinner, and they didn't. or as in when someone disagrees with what you felt was an awesome idea, and you really think they're not being mature enough to see your point of view.

that kind of upset. and not pointing out real-life events. jangan perasan. =P

ah, long post. supposed to prepare for my tutorials. but yeah, i'll heed my mum's advice.

from now on, i shall not blog for the plunging death of the other fella's reputation. i'll just smear it a little. politely.

ladida~

stupidity in even fuller glory.

19 July 2009 . Stupidity Level #5 .

this is a true testimony of a first-hand witness who was at the place of incident.

jason was on the Rapid KL bus and the bus was going through UM, when a UM guard stopped the bus, boarded it, and ordered everyone who didn't have a UM matric card to step off the bus. then he stepped off himself, and signaled the bus on, leaving the poor outsiders freezing in the cold.

public: what cold? no winter season in malaysia.

what cold? don't you already know it's the stupidity season?

beware, people who linger around UM. you may catch the Stupid Flu.

how can they do that to people? those 'outsiders' paid RM1 for their place on the bus. it wasn't like they were smuggling themselves into UM. who wants to stow into UM nowadays? right now i feel like inciting all UM students to mogok and skip all classes tomorrow. let the UM administrators sitting in their lofty cushioned-chairs see what it's like to run a car-free university without 60% of their students.

how proud do you feel now, o mighty UM?

i shall blog your reputation to its plunging death until the day you decide to cure your Stupid Flu.

stupidity in its full glory.

JULY 2008 . Stupidity Level #1 .

Former Vice Chancellor (Datuk Rafiah Salim):

All first and second-year students are prohibited from bringing their cars into campus. This is *proudly* in line with UM's vision of "cintailah alam sekitar".

Paraphrase:

Only outsiders are allowed to drive through UM so that the noble us can save them from getting caught in the Federal Highway jam. However, half of UM campus users must not drive to UM because only UM cars pollute.

13 JULY 2009 . Stupidity Level #2 .

Pejabat Keselamatan:
Bila sticker kereta keluar? Bulan Ogos kot. Tak tahulah. Bulan Ogos baru datang check!

Paraphrase:
August? I'm not too sure, but you can never be too sure. See, lady, try driving around with your stickerless car for about a month, and if you don't get caught, it's not August.


14 JULY 2009 . Stupidity Level #3 .

Office of the Vice Chancellor:

Dimaklumkan bahawa semua pelajar ASASI, TAHUN 1, TAHUN 2 dan TAHUN 3 adalah tidak dibenarkan membawa kereta ke dalam kampus Universiti Malaya berkuatkuasa mulai jam 6.00 pagi, Isnin, 20 Julai 2009. Walau bagaimanapun, pelajar dibenarkan membawa motorsikal ke dalam kampus.

Pelajar dikehendaki menggunakan perkhidmatan bas ulang-alik yang disediakan oleh Bahagian Hal Ehwal Pelajar sebagai pengangkutan dalam kampus.

Pelajar TAHUN EMPAT dan ke atas dikecualikan daripada larangan ini.

Sila dapatkan pelekat kenderaan anda dari Pejabat Keselamatan sebelum 20 Julai 2009.

Paraphrase:

We've decided that third-year students should also walk to campus everyday since only three-quarters of you third-year people stay outside in PJ or KL. It's not that far. We've also discovered that accident rates are much lesser in KL when it comes to using motorcycles, therefore we are encouraging all UM students to wieve in and out of traffic on those little scooter-cousins. If you don't have one, go get one! =D Oh, you only have a driving license? Too bad.

Oh wait. You walkers don't even have to walk all the way. You can walk from wherever you are (hey, it's only a 10-minute drive to campus from section 17 right? the walk can't be that much different.) and try to push past people to get onto a UM shuttle-bus. You know, if you happen to see one. Outside campus. At about the time you usually leave to go for lecture by car.

Final-year students are, of course, exempted because we don't want you cursing UM when you go out there into the working world. We still need young, naive people to come into UM thinking it's such a prestigious school and all, ya know?

And yeah, although the Pejabat says August, we say 20 July. So whether they've produced the stickers or not by then is really none of our business.

17 JULY 2009 . Stupidity Level #4 .

Pejabat Keselamatan:

Sukacita dimaklumkan bahawa Naib Canselor telah bersetuju memberi kelonggaran terhad kepada Pelajar ASASI, Pelajar Tahun 1, Tahun 2 dan Tahun 3 ijazah dasar (PELAJAR BERKENAAN) membawa kereta masuk ke dalam kampus Universiti Malaya tertakluk kepada aturan berikut:

(1) Pelajar Berkenaan hanya dibenarkan masuk melalui pintu masuk Damansara.
(2) Pelajar Berkenaan hanya dibenarkan meletak kereta di kawasan-kawasan berikut:

(a) Kawasan letak kereta di hadapan kolej 10.
(b) Kawasan Lapang di sekitar kompleks PALAPES.
(c) Sepanjang jalan (yang bertanda) di antara kolej 10 dan PALAPES.

Pelajar Berkenaan menggunakan ’shuttle bas’ yang disediakan oleh Universiti untuk bergerak ke kawasan lain dalam kampus Universiti.

Pelajar Berkenaan yang mengingkari peraturan di atas akan dikenakan tindakan berikut:
(1) Kereta dikunci (clamp).
(2) Denda RM100.00 bagi kesalahan pertama (termasuk wang cagaran). Wang cagaran RM50.00 akan dikembalikan apabila kereta dikeluarkan dari kawasan larangan.
(3) Denda RM150.00 bagi kesalahan kedua (termasuk wang cagaran) dan peningkatan denda RM50.00 bagi tiap kesalahan seterusnya.

Paraphrase:
Yup, your student council representatives have successfully conveyed about half of your wrath in the meeting a few minutes ago. So we've decided that out of respect for the residents in UM, we will kindly allow you to use the Damansara Entrance to get into UM. Oh, but then you'll have to you should drive all the way to Bangsar first. It's only convenient if you come from there. And yeah, nobody really uses this entrance ooo we wonder why. But. Limitations are limitations. We've got a model to follow. You know, limited freedom of speech and modified democracy and all? Yeah, the country's model is a must to follow. Therefore, you may drive your cars through the Damansara Entrance, but you must park at 10th College, that's No. 6 Red on the right-hand corner.



Oh, and once you're there, your car stays there. If you want to get to, say, the Faculty of Law (No. 18 Blue, bottom left), take our lovely Shuttle-Bus. Don't forget to pick up your car when you want to go home! =D

Lastly, do realize that we're not simply trying to make money off you. After all, one wonders why we don't prohibit Mercedes-Benzs from entering UM. It's only the little Peroduas that matter. Aww. And please don't complain if you receive your sum of expenses somewhere next month, and you realize you still have to pay for road construction works. It's better to give than to receive. *cheerful music*


---

i have no doubt at all that UM will reach Stupidity Level #5 in the very near future. specifically when our student council reps again try to pressure them into feeling sane again. until then, chelsea and i have come up with several strategies to get ourselves into UM:

1. 1. seduce guard
2. 2. wear blazer to uni everyday
   
3. 3. pretend to be mak cik sending kids to uni and yell that i want to pergi beli sayur d
   
4. 4. chelsea: "tse hwei! can you drive a lorry?" "har." "we can drive the Atlas lorry and send chickens to the canteen mak cik in first college! *bangga*"
5. 5. cat my car red and pretend it's a taxi
6. 6. steal bar council emblem from one of the lawyers' cars in the faculty and stick on my car's number plate
7. 7. steal canteen mak cik's car sticker

read a more properly-drafted complaint here. =P

the number.

is back to 012 660 2909.

er no, didn't rediscover my phone.

second week of classes.

"To the poor, justice is a promise of unreality."

Dr Gan (Administrative Law), in quoting the Indian Supreme Court.


"I lost a lot of friends in the tragedy of May 13, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. And I didn't know why. But today I do. And I hope that many years from now, none of my students will ever argue or decide cases based on religion or race."

Datin Nor Aini (Family Law), in... er, don't know how she got there.


"I believe you've come across a situation where you ask yourself: 'Should I, or should I not do it?' It is at that time that the way you were brought up, your moral values, and your religious values take over. But we cannot depend on everyone being brought up the right way."

Dr Johan (Constitutional Law), in explaining why absolute power corrupts absolutely.


this is why i love what i do.

this is why i believe a lot of people hate being in this faculty.

passion is a language only the heart understands.

people often bank on the openness of the mind.

i believe that one can only survive in this faculty with both the heart and the mind.

people in the faculty of law, how often have you felt a stirring within you when you hear such words in lectures?

the urge to either want to do something or stay and do nothing.

fight or flight.

it's called adrenaline. seriously, learned that in est. see i still remember.

if you have stopped feeling the rush of adrenaline, you have stopped doing something you want, let alone love.

passion is a language only the heart understands.

another thought to ponder:

"it's only the second week of classes." or "and it's only the second week of classes."

try to see the difference.

and ya, still coughing and vomiting balls of phlegm.